I have mixed feelings about this because I have a horrid Internet connection in my current place so I have to re-download all this mod again now? Did you just make your own launcher redundant in favour of Steam?

You would need to redownload Enderal + Forgotten Stories anyway on release since we will only provide new installation packages (Steam version, on NexusMods, ModDB, etc.), you won't be able to just download it as a patch via the launcher. A launcher will still exist, not everything can be handled automatically by Steam - not in this current situation at least.

Hmm, didn't realize it would be a new install. Does that mean the current version has to be uninstalled first? Also, I guess that would mean I got to do prep work in NMM for my many mods (mostly replacers) so I can them reinstalled in the proper order.

You would need to redownload Enderal + Forgotten Stories anyway on release since we will only provide new installation packages (Steam version, on NexusMods, ModDB, etc.), you won't be able to just download it as a patch via the launcher.

Will old saves be compatible with "Forgotten Stories" or will I have to start a new game?

Generally speaking, Forgotten Stories will be compatible with old save-games. However, we advise starting a new play-through, particularly for those players desiring to unlock the hidden ending. Forgotten Stories is designed and balanced so that it fits and enhances the main game rather than as a stand-alone.

It is highly recommended to start a NEW GAME.
I can't tell if anything will change. (See current news here and on Steam)
Therefore I would strongly recommend a new game.
Possible errors caused by old Savegame can usually not be fixed.

It is amazing to me how many times you have said that you will need to start a new game - which is clearly common sense - yet some people still don’t understand. Unfortunately, you are going to get hit with a lot of support posts asking why my old saves didn’t work. Just put in bold letters that’s it’s a NEW game, not compatible with old game.

In 2016, Nico said "Generally speaking, Forgotten Stories will be compatible with old save-games." I assume that, since in 2016 there was no mention of FS being released via Steam, it was anticipated at that time that FS would be released as a patch or DLC. Now, that has changed, and since the method of release has changed, I think it fair to ask if what Nico said almost 2 years ago is still valid.

I understand that there are some people who merely want to start at the beginning, play to the end, and then that's it. I have a large number of old saves at various points in the game from 6 playthroughs, and sometimes I load one of them up to refresh my memory about weapons, armor, spell levels, locations, enemies, etc, etc. That is why I would like to know if old saves will still work. It has nothing to do with whether or not I start a new playthrough when FS is released.

It is amazing to me how many times you have said that you will need to start a new game - which is clearly common sense - yet some people still don’t understand. Unfortunately, you are going to get hit with a lot of support posts asking why my old saves didn’t work. Just put in bold letters that’s it’s a NEW game, not compatible with old game.

SureAI has said it is "recommended" to start a new game, or it is "advised" to do so. That is not the same as stating that one absolutely "needs" to do so. Perhaps you would be so kind as to cite some of the actual quotes where SureAI developers said one would "need" to start a new game; that shouldn't be difficult since you have seen it many times.

As for something being "clearly common sense" I have seen (and played) a great many games where old saves were perfectly compatible with games modified by one or more DLCs, so if I were to be guided by common sense, I would say that compatibility would more often than not be the rule, not the exception.

We highly recommend starting a new playthrough to get the best, full and most bug-free experience. Generally speaking, old saves will be compatible but only to a certain extent due to technical reasons. The chances are small that we will be able to fix bugs that are caused due to the "age" of a save.

Since I am in software development, my angle is more process flow. They have said that there will be conditional branching early on in the game that leads to the secret ending. You can’t start beyond that point in the flow and expect a different outcome.

But you’re right in that you can load an old save to try out elements in the game but I was simply focusing on the purpose of FS for most people - the new quests and ending, which obviously has to start at the beginning.

I also play with a lot of mods and in order for me to test them accurately in FS, I will have to start at the beginning instead of an old save that has been made dirty by remnants of mods that were saved. Since most of my mods are replacers, it would be pretty (once I get to the start point) to jump to Ark to test.